This invention is directed to a fluid control valve, more particularly a water control valve, for use in association with appliances such as washing machines or the like. The valve includes a centralized control handle which can be utilized to simultaneously move both a first and second valve element between an on and off position or can be utilized to move only one of the valve elements independently of the other.
The manufacturers of certain appliances such as washing machines or the like which are connected to pressurized fluid systems almost universally recommend that the supply valve controlling the fluid flow to the appliance be shut down in the interval between uses of the appliance in order to isolate connecting hoses and other valve mechanisms within the appliance from the pressurized fluid supply. When applied to washing machines, this means that the operator of the washing machine should turn the hot and cold water taps off after each completion of use of the machine. This then requires that the operator also turn these valves back on when the machine is going to be used again.
While the practice described in the preceding paragraph in theory is a very good practice, as a practical matter, because of the inconvenience of turning a standard water supply valve off and on, it is a rare individual who follows the manufacturers recommendations in doing this. The valves attached to the hot and cold water supply in the typical home are the type requiring rotation of a knob in order to turn the valve off and on. Normally, the knob must be turned through several rotations in order to turn the valve off or on. Because of the inconvenience of turning these valves off and on, the user of the same generally neglects to do this, and the valve is normally left standing in an on position.
Most water supplies incorporate some sort of dissolved salts or the like. When a valve is left standing in an on position, the salts generally tend to precipitate in the valve, corroding the valve and making it even more difficult to operate the same. As it gets harder and harder to operate the valve, it is more and more likely that the valve will be left in an on position. Inevitably, the valve is simply left in this on position until a catastrophic event such as a hose bursting or the like occurs. At just such a time that it is absolutely necessary to turn the valve off, the valve is found frozen in an open position and an emergency call must be made to the local plumber.
In the last decade or so, the use of what is called a washing machine outlet box has become quite common. This is a small, water impervious housing which is placed in the wall, with the hot and cold water taps for the washing machine or other appliance located within the box. For aesthetic reasons, these boxes have slowly gotten smaller and smaller, with the most modern versions of these washing machine outlet boxes being only approximately six inches in size. This leaves little, if any, room for doing valve repair or the like within the box.
A prior valve exists which utilizes a single central lever to simultaneously turn off the hot and cold water systems attached to this valve. This valve certainly encourages the practice of turning these valves off or on each time the washing machine is used, because of the single lever used for simultaneously activating both of the valves. However, this valve is not designed to be used in conjunction with a washing machine outlet box in that the discharge nipples are located directly below and in line with the handle mechanism, requiring the totality of the valve to be positioned outwardly from a wall in order to attach or detach lines to the discharge nipples.